Speed Work

“8×30-30” means “30 seconds fast, 30 seconds slow, eight times in a row.”

After a thorough warm-up, run for 30 seconds at about 90-95% intensity, then do a 30-second recovery jog. Make sure that you don’t slow down during the workout, so you are running your last 30 seconds about as fast or even a little faster than your first 30 seconds. Run on a soft surface if you can, rather than on concrete or asphalt. When you are done, jog or walk slowly for a while to cool-down. Both the number of repeats, and the duration of the fast and slow intervals, will change from week to week.

Tempo
After a warm up for about 5 – 10 minutes, maintain a pace about 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 10-K race pace. The last 5 to 10 minutes should be a cool down period. Another way to gauge the pace of tempo runs: a pace about midway between short-interval training speed and your easy running pace.

Easy (e)
A slow run done at a conversational pace.

Hillwork
Hills prepare the muscles for faster running without going anaerobic. Hill training will enable you to run better on all types of terrain. Find a hill with a moderate grade, about 10-15%. Run at about 85% effort and jog slowly down to recover. Start with about 4 hills and increase by 1 a week until you can run 8-12 hills.

Strides

“As base gets developed, integrate weekly sessions of short bursts of swift running for 80-150 meters” RRCA (2023)

OFF/XT/Recovery

No run or cross-training or active recover. Cross training can be cycling, yoga, elliptical to name a few.

4-6, 1-2 min hill repeats

4 to 6 hill repeats for 1 to 2 minutes each

3-5 miles/Farklet 30 sec (12 mins)

Run 3 to 5 miles. Add 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow for 12 minutes. Total distance should be 3 to 5 miles including warm up and cool down.

10×30 secs fast 30 slow

Run 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow 10 times

4×800 (10k pace) 400m recovery

Run 800 meters at 10k pace 4 times followed by a 400 meter recovery run or walk

3-5/e with 8×20 sec hill strides

Run 3 to 5 miles easy incorporating 8 hill strides at 20 seconds each